Improvement in projectiles for rifled ordnance



I 2 Sheets-Sheet l I. P. TICE.

I Prbjectile.

N0. 3 3 k g K Patented Nov. 12, 1861.

Witnesses. d i A 2 Sheets-She (I. P. TICE.

Projectile.

Inventor- Patented Nov. 12, 1861.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC P. TICE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN PROJECTILES FOR RIFLEDJORDNANCE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 33,718, dated ovember 12, 1861.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ISAAC P. TICE, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Projectile for Rified and other Ordnance; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-- Figure 1 is a longitudinal outside view of a projectile in which the principal features of my invention are combined. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the same, representing it in condition for insertion into the gun. Fig. 3 is a similar section, representing it in the condition it assumes in its discharge. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal outside view of the single casting which constitutes the body of the projectile. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal outside view of a projectile complete, exhibiting one of the features of myinvention not shown in the other figures.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention consists in the construction of a projectile for ordnance,with its body composed of a single casting of iron and a surrounding ring of lead or other soft metal or suitable material capable of lateral expansion, such casting being of such form that the force employed to ram it home in loading or the force to which it is subject in its discharge will cause it to be broken into two or more pieces, which will act in such manner as to cause the said ring to be so expanded as to fill the bore and fill the rifle-grooves of the gun.

It also consists in providing the hard-metal portion of the body of a projectile with projecting collars on each side of its expanding ring, for the purpose of confining the ring in a longitudinal direction and preventing the formation on the said ring of uneven edges, which tend to deflectit from its true trajectory; and it further consists in enveloping the packing-ring of soft metal with a band or patch of copper or brass corrugated longitudinally, to provide for its expansion in a circumferential direction.

To enable others skilled in the artto make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A B is the casting which constitutes the principal portion of the body of the projectile. This, though a single casting, maybe described as being composed of two parts, of which the front part, A, is of conoidal form with a short neck, a, in front of which is an abrupt shoul der, 1), and has a conical cavity, 0, in its rear and two or more projections, cl d, at equal distances apart, extending rearward from its neck a, the exterior of the said projections forming continuations of the cylindrical exterior surface of the neck, and the rear portion, B, is of cylindrical form with a neck, 6, terminating in frontin a cone, f, which enters some distance into the conical cavity a, as shown in Fig. 2. The projections d d cover portions of the neck a, to which they are slightly joined at o o by small portions of the metal. Teats g g are formed by placing, suitable cores in the mold on the back of the shoulder b, and on the front of the shoulder h, left in rear of the neck 6, to prevent the packing-ring O, of lead or other soft metal, from turning on the casting A B, and slightlyprojecting collars t' and j are formed upon the two parts, A and B, the latter in rear of the shoulder h and the former in front of the shoulder 1), and these collars are turned both on their peripheries and sides, the peripheries being turned to fit easily to the bore of the gun from which the projectile is to be fired; but no other portions of the castings are turned.

The packing-rim g C is cast around the necks a and e, fitting the space between the shoulders b and h; but the lead is prevented from entering the cavity 0 by placing small plates on, of wrought or cast iron, to cover the spaces k it between the projections cl cl, as shown in section in Fig. 2 and dotted in Fig. 4. The exterior of the ring 0 is cast of such size as to admit of the application around it of the canvas band Z, or, what I believe to be preferable, the longitudinal corrugated band r, of copper, which forms part of my invention. WVhichever of these bands is employed should be secured to the ring 0 by copper or other soft-metal tacks n n, driven through it into the lead. A vent from the cavity 0 is provided for by a hole, 19, drilled or otherwise made through the portionA of the projectile, the object of such vent being the prevention of the cushioning of the air between the parts A and B when they are separated and B is driven into A. w

The projectile thus constructed may be used either for breech ormuzzle loading ordnance. In loading at the muzzle, the force employed in ramming home the projectile against the charge of powder may be sufficient to break the casting A B at the points 7; v; but if this should not be the case, when the charge is fired the impact upon the base of the projectile caused by the explosion of the charge will break it at those points, and perhaps break off one or more of the projections (Z d and drive forward the portion B into the portion A, as shown in Fig. 3, thereby causing the ring 0 and band Z or r to be expanded laterally and driven. out against the lands of the bore and into the rifle-grooves of the gun; and when the projectile is set in motion the ring 0 derives a rotary motion in its passage along the rifle-grooves and imparts such motion to the body of the projectile, the two parts A and B of which are kept together by the said ring in the flight ofthe projectile.

In the expansion of the ring 0 portions of it will be driven over the shoulders I) and h; but these portions will be confinedbetween the collars "i andj, as shown in Fig. 3, and so be prevented from presenting uneven edges to the atmosphereand deflecting the projectile from its true trajectory.

The corrugated band 4 operates very effectively to prevent the leading of the grooves by the ring C, and by being corrugated is allowed to expand to fill the bore and grooves of the gun without tearing. This'band may be of copper, brass, or other tough and ductile metal or alloy. The rear portion, B, of this projectile and the front portion, A, also may be made hollow, to receive a charge of powder, and make either or each of said parts constitute a bomb.

This projectile is of much less costly construction than those whose bodies are composed of two or more separate castings fitted together with an expanding ring of metal between them, and is equally effective.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The construction of a projectile for ordnance. with its body composed of a single casting, of iron, and a surrounding ring, of lead or other suitable material, capable of lateral expansion, when such casting is of such form that the force employed torain it home or the force to which it is subject in its. discharge will cause it to be broken intotwo or more pieces, which will act in such manner as to cause the said ring to be expanded, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

2. Constructing the two parts A and B of the projectile with collars 2' and j, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

3. The corrugated metal band-r, appliedin combination with; the, packing-ring. 0, substantially as herein set forth.

I. P. TIOE.

WVitnesses:

JAMES LAIRD, RICHARDSON GAWLEY. 

